HSBC Watch News Release Forum Index
Forum Name: - Best Buy
Topic Title: Phishing scheme or Best Buy telemarketing
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Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:31 pm
Keep getting a message everyday from HSBC retail services stating that I need to call them for an important message. So I did and they want me to give them my last 4 social security numbers...NO WAY! I never was able to speak to a representative. Only a recording. How do I get these people to stop calling me?
Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:06 pm
Guest wrote:
I have also been getting constant calls to my cell phone from the 800.280.5777 number. The one time I answered a call, I got an automated message asking me to wait for the next available CS rep. I was a bit disturbed to learn of the history of this company from this site after Googling the number. I don't have any credit accounts with retailers, but I will keeping a close eye on my credit report just in case. Whenever they call now, I immediately answer and put them on hold. With any luck, the CS rep will mark the number as dead.
I'm 90% sure that they got my number from a rebate sent to Best Buy or CompUSA (I sent rebates in from both in the past 2 months). Do they engage in cold calling, or are they trying to fool me into thinking I have a debt with them (and getting information from me in the process)? Has anyone had any luck getting off of their call list?
DP
Well, I have an update in the HSBC saga. I got three more calls from them since posting the last message. I was feeling very fed up with it this morning so I called the number back.
Ty #1. I politely asked the CS rep to remove me from their telemarketing list. She replied saying that they did not do telemarketing. She asked for my name but I told her that if she could not find an account under my phone number that she needed to remove me from the call list. She refused to check and hung up on me.
Try #2. The second CS rep asked for my name and phone number. I gave her my number and told her I did not give out my personal information and that I did not have an account with HSBC. This CS rep claimed that there was indeed an account with my number and insisted on my name. She refused to identify the account holder's name, which is odd because they have been *beep* bent on calling me for the past week. Here is where it gets weird. She then tells me that if I refuse to give her my name and info, then it was my own fault when my credit is ruined because my account is sent to collections. I incredulously asked if she was threatening me and she hung up.
Try #3. I immediately asked for a supervisor. She said is this an account issue or a complaint call. I told her I did not have an account with their institution and that I wanted my number removed from their call list. She said "Oh, it's a complaint call then." Apparently this is nothing new to them. I spend a few seconds on hold and someone new answers ("Cathy" I think). I explain that I would like to be removed from their call list and that I have been hung up on twice. Again I give my number and refuse to give my name. She asks if this is "Estovitz" or something similar. I explain that no one by that name is at this number. She said that she would remove the number from the account and hung up.
My experience with these people has been awful to say the least - and I don't even have an account with them. Also, in an ironic twist of fate a HSBC credit offer was waiting in the mail when I got home from work today. You can be sure that one hit the shredder fast. I'm due for an annual credit report in March, and I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on it.
I have not received any calls since this morning, so hopefully this ordeal has ended. I will update here if anything changes. I don't know if this was a case of a mistaken phone number or really deceptive tactics - but I would recommend staying far, far away from this company.
DP
Sat Feb 19, 2005 9:53 am
when i first recieved a vmail on my cellphone i couldnt understand who the recording was addressing but over the past week they keep calling. i went through all the calling back and pressing numbers and a recording telling me, sorry for the inconvience. figuring i wouldnt be called anymore. i was wrong. finally this morning i have called the number back telling the man who answered the phone i didnt have an account and i was being called continuously up to 3 times a day. he kindly took my number and said i would be removed from what ever. hopefully i will not recieve these phone calls anymore. but does anyone really know what all this is about?
Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:12 pm
I have yet to recieve any of my bills for either of my HSBC accounts. I even signed up to have them e-mailed to me and I don't even recieve those. To make things worse, when I pay my bill online, cause I can't ever get ahold of a real person when I call, they accept the payment at first but then reverse it a few days later. When they do this they charge me with a late fee, a return payment fee, and an insufficent funds fee. Together they add up to almost $100. There is never a reason to return the payments either, seeing as I had the money in my account to cover the payments. When I do finally talk to somebody about this they can't ever explain what happened, but they refuse to reverse the charges. I'm going to spend my entire tax refund to pay off my accounts with HSBC so I don't have to deal with this anymore. I'm sick and tired of getting a dozen calls from them everyday, including sunday. I didn't think that they were allowed to call on sunday but they do. Once everything is payed off I'm never going to deal with them or one of their affiliated companies ever again.
Sat May 28, 2005 1:33 pm
I receive a call from 800-280-5777 everyday. After reading about the phone scam (Best Buy), I sent an email to the Best Buy media department to inquire about this matter.
Until the Best Buy Media center responds, I plan on hanging up on these calls.
We monitor customer trends for possible violations of Regulation Z and other possible illegal actions.